UNIVERSITY PLACE, Washington — The unexpected ecstasy of Jordan Spieth's one-shot win at the U.S. Open resulted from the agony of Dustin Johnson's missed putt from four feet, yet another example of a bitter major finish.
From the three-footer Doug Sanders missed at the 1970 British Open to Kim In-kyung's horseshoe out of the cup from a foot at the 2012 Kraft Nabisco, golf's elite events are littered with squandered putts from short distances on the final hole.
The pressure cooker situation of a major championship coming down to the wire is certainly not for the faint of heart and nerves of steel are required to make the right shot at the right time, especially when facing a putt with the title on the line.